Houston homicide rate may be worst in a decade

Homicide rate on track to be worst in a decadeEvacuees play large role in the rise, police say

JENNIFER LEAHY, Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle |
October 21, 2006

With more than 300 homicides since January, Houston is on pace to record nearly 400 slayings for the year - which would be the highest number of killings the city has seen in more than a decade.

As of Oct. 16, the city had recorded 316 homicides, up 25 percent from the 252 slayings at this time last year. The Houston Police Department said an uptick in homicides by Hurricane Katrina evacuees has contributed to that increase.

``We recognize that the homicide rate is up as far as raw numbers and as well as percentages relative to the population,'' said Capt. Dwayne Ready. ``We also recognize that Katrina evacuees continue to have an impact on the murder rate.''

Though overall crime is slightly down for the year, the police department has had a difficult time reining in the rising homicide rate. But it's still not time to panic, police said.

``The homicide rate has been much higher in years past, especially the 1980s,'' Ready said. ``Even if the number ... for 2006 hits 400 it's not a bleak picture for Houston.''

The city's homicide rate declined throughout the 1990s. In 1991 there were 608 homicides. The rate steadily dropped from 465 in 1992, to 254 in 1998 - a far cry from 1981, the year the city was dubbed the murder capital of the United States when it tallied 701 homicides.

65 Katrina-related slayings

The continuing cycle of violence among evacuees appears to be one of the biggest contributors to the city's homicide rate, police said.

Authorities first spotted increases in 2005. By year's end, the city had recorded 334 homicides.

During the previous 10 years, homicide rates never topped the 316 slayings in 1995.

``The Katrina population has certainly impacted the murder rate,'' said Houston Police spokesman John Cannon.

One recent example was Aug. 28, when police said evacuee James Hubbard, 26, was gunned down as he stood at a cashier's window in southwest Houston.

Police soon learned that the man accused of shooting him, Ralph Michael Anderson, 23, also was from New Orleans. On Wednesday, police arrested Anderson in Tyler; he has been charged with murder.

Hubbard's slaying was the 65th in 2006 classified as Katrina-related, meaning either the victim, suspect or both evacuated to Houston after Katrina.

In trying to offer a snapshot of how homicides in Houston have increased, police compared a 13-month span starting about a year before the arrival of Katrina evacuees to the past 13 months.

Between Sept. 1, 2004, and Oct. 16, 2005, there were 344 homicides in Houston. From Sept. 1, 2005, through Oct. 16, there were a total of 445 slayings, 83 involving Katrina evacuees, an increase of roughly 29 percent.

The city of Houston has about 2.2 million residents, Cannon said.

Less than two months ago, about 1,700 residents of west Houston attended a public meeting to express concern about the impact of evacuees on crime in Houston.

Wider effects unknown

Mayor Bill White repeated his position that all ``able-bodied'' evacuees should be working and that the city would continue to arrest lawbreakers.

Police have not kept records of how the estimated 150,000 Katrina evacuees have affected crime rates other than homicide.

Per capita crime, defined as the number of crimes per 100,000 residents, has decreased in the city, with the violent crime rate down 3 percent this year.

``We may attempt to compare the figures on these crimes in November or December,'' Cannon said.

``A year ago the majority of evacuees were just getting settled, so it's not yet effective to compare the statistics.''